After All These Years

{One Little Word 2012}

I decided on my one little word for this year a while ago, but only just completed a layout dedicated to it. My word is balance. 

Scrapbooked with the Paper Heart range from Crate Paper (love it!) and a couple of extra embellishments thrown in.

And a quick photo of myself taken with my phone . . . must get in the photos more this year! Can you spy a couple of goodies from Greatest View?

Ah. It felt good to scrapbook again. I've two more layouts planned and on my desk to complete. It's all about balancing my time!

{Come See The New Blog}

It's ready! After lots of thinking, planning and photoshop-ing and coding, I'm very pleased to share the new Greatest View blog with you!

It's got its own domain name and everything.  

www.greatest-view.com

Add it to your favourites, head on over and take a look. I've got a giveaway happening! 

So happy. 2012 is going to be great!

{Project 365}

Is anyone else totally overwhelmed with just how many scrapbookers/bloggers are doing Becky Higgins' Project Life in 2012? Oh my goodness, it's just taken off! 

Buuut I'm not there yet. I'm not ready to commit to this project as I just love my traditional scrapbooking so much and I think it would dramatically decrease that . . . but here's what I'm doing.

My cousin told me about a free iPhone app called Project 365. I can snap one photo a day on my phone and add it to my calendar along with any thoughts. Easy. No fancy photography. An iphone photo. 

I'm using an Instagram photo as I like the ease of those effects. Here is my first five days in 2012:

Noah is big enough for the highchair now; waterslide fun in the backyard; catching up with friends & babytalk; facing the music after Christmas indulgences; bit of renovating.

I have no idea what I'll do with the photos yet. I just want them captured in my phone. I am going to continue with my gratitude lists monthly (perhaps a mini album for those) and I am considering the 2012 Take Twelve Challenge from Ella Publishing.

There are so many inspiring options to capture your life but the most important thing is to just capture it. 

{2011 In Review}

2011

Most exciting: Amelia's first plane trip (with Grandma) to visit her cousin Kasi in Gladstone.

Happiest: Our baby boy's arrival in July.

Most magical: The anticipation and excitement of Amelia in the lead-up to Christmas.

Scariest: Falling down the stairs at 9 months pregnant and calling an ambulance.

Most fun: Our many trips to Australia Zoo! Love our annual passes.

Proudest: Amelia adjusting so well to having a baby brother. She adores him and has never once been jealous or resentful! So proud of my girl!

I used the Piccadilly line from Basic Grey for this layout. I will add more detailed journaling on the back.

Mmm. See that fabric rosette there? A little something I'm working on for the Etsy shop.

I love looking back at layouts like this!

Have a happy new year everyone! See you in 2012!

{My Favourite Things: December}

Here's a little compilation of what I'm loving right now.

1. Core'dinations Cardstock - specifically the Kraft-Core collection. You know how much I love kraft cardstock, well this coloured cardstock has a kraft core! Can't wait to use it!

2. Elle's Studio - Christmas Tidbits tags are sooo tiny and cute and I just love the entire range of Lil' Snippets but especially this Labelled Christmas one!

3. Ella Publishing - Their new List It! series has intrigued me and I've purchased the Christmas Edition. I love the journaling prompts all about Christmas and you can just print them right out and use on your projects. I love it because I don't actually take a ton of photos at Christmas but there are lots of memories I want to record!

4. Ingvild Bolme - I am a bit fussy when it comes to inks and it's one of my most used items. I bought a couple of these Ingvild Bolme Chalk Fluid Edgers to try and oh my goodness I need them all! Not only are the colours unique and gorgeous, they are great quality chalky inks and I just love the design of the pad itself - easy to hold onto to ink edges which is exactly what I use them for! My favourite colours are rose bud, teal and dry sand.

I would love to hear what your favourite thing is right now!

{Catching My Breath}

Well, it's over for another year. What a busy month December always turns out to be! I had grand plans to do so much but I let it go. I didn't get to make photo ornaments for the tree. I didn't get to make an advent calendar. I didn't get to do a lot of baking. But, I did get to spend more time with my kids hanging out. I did get to do a massive clean out of our house (while hubby is on holidays). I did get to catch up with some old friends.

So now we are in recovery mode. We are re-organising the house to make room for all the new toys. We are eating our way through the leg ham and chocolates. And I am making plans and goals for next year. I love the enthusiasm I have when the new year rolls around!

Just Quickly . . .

ETA: I have sold out of kits!

I only have TWO kits left  ONE KIT LEFT for the online class so get 'em quick! Details are here. The first few lessons/instructions are on the classroom blog already so also, if you have registered for the class and haven't received an email from me regarding the classroom information, email me at gaillindner(at)hotmail(dot)com.

.

.

.

Normal blogging will resume again soon I promise! Busy, busy this time of year!

{The Elegant Tag Collection}

I'm so over the moon that even one person signed up for my first online class, let alone many, many people! Some of the participants have checked out the classroom blog already and the lessons will start on the blog this coming weekend!

It's not too late to join in! The information will remain accessible for quite some time so you can work at your own pace, or leave the whole project until after Christmas when things aren't so busy!

I only have FIVE FOUR kits remaining! I started with a whole box full but I'm down to the last few! 

If you want to join in, all the information is here. You can pay via paypal or just email me to arrange a direct deposit. 

Thank you! 

I'm working on a couple of projects to share with you all soon!

 

{November Gratitude}

This project gets me thinking throughout the whole month, to be grateful for the little things. And that's exactly what I wanted it to do! So here's my list for November:

1. My family's health. A few people I know have had/are going through a rough time health wise. It's always in the back of my mind.

2. The kindness of strangers. I'll tell this story another day . . . 

3. Amelia's creativity. I just love when she draws me pictures and puts them up on the fridge herself. And I love that I can tell what she's drawn LOL!

4. Sleep. I've had a bit more lately and it's awesome!

5. Farex. This has allowed me to get more sleep! 

6. Online support. I am humbled and so happy that I've finally launched my first online class!

7. Early Christmas shopping. I'm nearly done . . . the shops are getting so busy.

8. Weight Watchers. I took the plunge and joined with my BFF and I love that it's teaching me the correct eating habits again.

9. A new camera which is inspiring me to snap more photos everyday.

10. My husband. We recently had our fifth wedding anniversary and I can't believe it's been five years already! How different our life is now . . .

Don't forget to let me know if you want to join in this monthly gratitude project!

It's filling up but it's not too late to join in!  There's still plenty of time left before class 'officially' kicks off and to get your kit in time! Read all about it here.

{Crate Paper: Random}

I was asked recently what inspired me to create particular layouts. Usually I have a photo or series of photos and a story that I want to tell and find papers etc to match them.

However.

For this particular layout, I just wanted to use papers from the Crate Paper Random collection. And I just happened to have the perfect photo . . .

Magic. I think this photo is magic. And deserved a layout of its own. I channelled my inner Anthea Peterson with this one. I'm loving the flowing bows she creates on her layouts and gave it a go.

Anthea has posted a step-by-step on her blog on exactly how she creates her bows. I do think it works better with wider ribbon but I didn't have any in the colour I wanted so I made do with this narrow one.

Oh it feels good to be scrapbooking again!

Just a reminder that it's not too late to sign up for my very first online class + kit! I'm so excited! All the details are here.